Reduced friction j-latch device

ABSTRACT

In accordance with presently disclosed embodiments, systems and methods for selectively engaging, raising or lowering, and disengaging downhole equipment via a reduced friction J-latch mechanism is provided. The disclosed J-latch mechanism generally includes a J-latch receptacle including a cylinder having a slot formed therein, the slot having an open end exposed at one end of the cylinder and a truncated slot area at an opposite end of the slot from the open end. The J-latch mechanism also includes a J-latch lug member including a mounting portion with a lug disposed thereon for removably interfacing with the slot of the J-latch receptacle. The lug includes a bearing assembly to reduce friction between the slot and the lug while selectively engaging and disengaging the lug member from the receptacle. The disclosed J-latch mechanism may improve the efficiency of deployment, retrieval, and actuation of a wide range of oilfield equipment under heave conditions.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates generally to oil and gas operations and, more particularly, to reduced friction J-latch mechanisms used for deploying or retrieving oilfield devices run into wellbores, drill string, drilling risers, or other downhole components.

BACKGROUND

Hydrocarbons, such as oil and gas, are commonly obtained from subterranean formations that may be located onshore or offshore. The development of subterranean operations and the processes involved in removing hydrocarbons from a subterranean formation typically involve a number of different steps such as, for example, drilling a wellbore at a desired well site, treating the wellbore to optimize production of hydrocarbons, and performing the necessary steps to produce and process the hydrocarbons from the subterranean formation.

Throughout the initial drilling process and while completing, producing, and working over a wellbore that intersects a subterranean hydrocarbon-bearing formation, a variety of wellhead, blow-out preventer (BOP), drill string, drilling riser, casing, tubing and other wellbore tools may be positioned in or removed from the wellhead, BOP, drill string, drilling riser, casing, tubing and wellbore during drilling, completion, production, or remedial activities. For example, various operating tools including flow controllers (e.g., chokes, valves, non-return valves, etc.), safety devices such as test plugs and safety valves, and various completion or drilling tools such as liner hangers, packers and RCD seal elements and bearings may be releasably positioned in, or retrieved from, the wellhead, BOP, drill string, drilling riser, casing, tubing, and wellbore. It is desirable to provide improved techniques and equipment for conveying, deploying, and actuating such operating tools within a wellbore environment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a more complete understanding of the present disclosure and its features and advantages, reference is now made to the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a J-latch receptacle and a corresponding J-latch lug member, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a side view of a J-latch receptacle, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 3 illustrates a side view and a cross sectional view of a J-latch lug member, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Illustrative embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail herein. In the interest of clarity, not all features of an actual implementation are described in this specification. It will of course be appreciated that in the development of any such actual embodiment, numerous implementation specific decisions must be made to achieve developers' specific goals, such as compliance with system related and business related constraints, which will vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, it will be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking for those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the present disclosure. Furthermore, in no way should the following examples be read to limit, or define, the scope of the disclosure.

Presently disclosed embodiments are directed to a J-latch mechanism with reduced friction for selectively engaging, raising or lowering, actuating, and disengaging downhole equipment with a conveying component. J-latch mechanisms generally include a releasable mating mechanism between one or more J-slots on one component (e.g., downhole equipment to be deployed or retrieved), and lugs disposed on another component (e.g., a conveying component that is moved through the wellbore). The lugs are able to removably engage with the J-slots of the wellbore equipment, allowing for selective placement or removal of the equipment from the wellbore. The reduced friction J-latch mechanism may improve the efficiency of downhole equipment deployment and retrieval operations under certain conditions.

In certain situations and conditions, the J-latch mechanism may become jammed or damaged as a result of increased friction, leading to ineffective and inefficient operation of the J-latch mechanism for deploying or retrieving downhole equipment. For example, in situations that involve floating drilling units, the heave conditions and weight compensator sensitivity may result in an inaccurate amount of weight or upward tensile load being applied from the rig to engage the J-latch mechanism between a conveying member and downhole equipment. The undesired forces applied to traditional J-latch mechanisms can greatly increase the friction generated between the metal slots and metal lugs of the J-latch mechanism. This increased friction could cause the J-latch mechanism to jam or become damaged, increasing nonproductive time at the rig. The presently disclosed embodiments are directed to mechanisms for reducing the friction and improving the location, stab-in, and manipulation of J-latch components under such conditions.

To that end, the disclosed J-latch mechanism may include a J-latch receptacle that has “J” shaped slots (J-slots) formed into the side of the receptacle and open at one end of the receptacle to allow corresponding lugs to be engaged and disengaged with the J-slots. The J-latch mechanism includes these lugs as part of a lug member that is designed to selectively engage and disengage with the J-latch receptacle via the J-slots. In present embodiments, the lug member includes lugs with bearings disposed thereon, the bearings being used to reduce the friction of the lugs mating with the corresponding J-slots during deployment and retrieval of downhole equipment. The J-latch mechanism may be used for deployment, retrieval, and/or actuation of a wide range of oilfield equipment/devices including, but not limited to, mechanically set packers, blow out preventer test plugs, wear bushings, liner hangers, cement retainers, and so forth.

FIG. 1 is a side view of one such J-latch mechanism 10, having a J-latch receptacle 12 and corresponding J-latch lug member 14. The J-latch receptacle 12 may be generally cylindrical with “J” shaped slots (J-slots) 16 machined into an inner diameter 18 (as illustrated) or outer diameter, or all the way through, the cylindrical wall 20. In some embodiments, the J-latch receptacle 12 is a component piece of an oilfield device 21 to be deployed or retrieved. In other embodiments, the J-latch receptacle 12 may be an attachment piece (e.g., a removable sub) coupled to the downhole equipment/device 21 to be deployed or retrieved.

The J-latch mechanism 10 also includes the J-latch lug member 14, which includes lugs 22 sized and spaced to enable engagement with the slots 16 in the receptacle 12. In the illustrated embodiment, the lug member 14 includes a mounting portion 24 on which the lugs 22 are mounted, and the mounting portion 24 has an outer diameter slightly smaller than that of the receptacle 12 and the protruding lugs 22. As described in detail below, the lugs 22 on the lug member 14 include bearings designed to reduce friction between the lug member 14 and the receptacle 12 when the two are forced into contact with each other.

In some embodiments, the lug member 14 is run on a conveying member 26 (e.g., deployment or pulling string, wireline, slickline, coiled tubing, etc.) to either land and disengage from the receptacle 12 and associated equipment 21 when running, or to engage with and remove the receptacle 12 and associated equipment 21 when retrieving. In some embodiments, the conveying member 26 may be used to position an element of downhole equipment 21 from an open position to a closed position, or from a closed position to an open position, via upward or downward movement of the element 21. In other embodiments, the conveying member 26 may be used to position an element of downhole equipment 21 from an open position to a closed position, or from a closed position to an open position, via rotation of the element 21.

FIG. 1 shows an arrangement of the J-latch mechanism, but other arrangements can be used. For example, the lug member 14 may be attached to the downhole equipment 21 to be deployed, retrieved, or transitioned between a closed position and an open position, while the receptacle 12 may be part of the conveying member 26.

In some embodiments, the J-latch receptacle 12 may include J-slots 16 machined into the outer diameter of the receptacle and the lug member 14 may include inward facing lugs 22. That is, lug member 14 may include a relatively cylindrical construction with walls on which the lugs 22 are mounted to face inward toward the J-latch receptacle 12. In this embodiment, the J-latch receptacle 12 may include an outer diameter that is smaller than an inner diameter of the lug member 14 so that the lugs 22 can reach the slots 16 on the outside of the J-latch receptacle 12. Although in the illustrated embodiment the lugs 22 are disposed on the mounting portion 24 and the slots 16 are formed within the cylindrical wall 20, in other embodiments this orientation may be reversed. That is, in some embodiments the lugs 22 may be disposed on the cylindrical wall 20 while the slots 16 are formed into the mounting portion 24.

Although illustrated as having a left hand orientation, the J-latch slots 16 may be arranged such that they have a right hand orientation, as shown in FIG. 2. In FIG. 1, the receptacle 12 and the lug member 14 each include eight slots 16 and lugs 22, respectively, designed to be selectively engaged with one another. In FIG. 2, the receptacle 12 includes only four slots 16 to be mated with four corresponding lugs 22. Any desirable number (e.g., 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, or more) of slots 16 and lugs 22 may be used in other embodiments.

The J-latch receptacles 12 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 each illustrate J-slots 16 having a particular “J” shape. Specifically, each of the slots 16 includes an uppermost sloping profile 30, a vertical section 32, a lowermost sloping profile 34, and a truncated upward slot area 36. It should be noted, however, that other embodiments of the J-latch receptacle 12 may include J-slots 16 having different shapes or profiles. For example, the J-slots 16 may have more rounded edges than those illustrated in FIG. 1. In other embodiments, the J-slots 16 may include a profile that traces different angles relative to other portions of the slot 16. Furthermore, any desirable shape that includes a truncated portion at one end and an open end at the other may be used for the J-slots 16 in presently disclosed embodiments. That is, the J-slots 16 are not restricted to having a specific “J” shape like those shown in the illustrated embodiments.

In order to pull a formerly deployed device 21 from the wellbore using the J-latch mechanism 10 of FIG. 1, the lug member 14 may be attached to the conveying member 26 or pulling string (e.g., drill pipe, tubing, etc.) and run downhole to be positioned just above the receptacle 12. The running string and the lug member 14 may then be slowly lowered until the lugs 22 rest on the uppermost sloping profile 30 of the J-slots 16. Continued slow lowering and application of the right hand (or left hand) torque to the pulling string causes the lugs 22 to follow the J-slot profile down the uppermost sloping profile 30, down the vertical section 32, and finally into the lowermost sloping profile 34 to land out in the bottom of the J-slot. Upward movement of the pulling string and lug member 14, while still applying the right hand (or left hand) torque, raises the lugs 22 into the truncated upward slot areas 36 of the receptacle 12. This allows the pulling string to continue pulling the J-latch lugs 22 upward, transferring the upward pulling force and/or right hand (or left hand) torque to the oilfield device 21 in order to release the device 21 and retrieve the device 21 from downhole to the surface.

Running an oilfield device 21 using the J-latch mechanism 10 includes a similar but reversed process. At the surface, the lugs 22 may be engaged with the truncated portions 36 of the J-slots 16, and the device 21 may be lowered into the wellbore toward its setting position via the conveying member 26 or running string attached to the lug member 14. When the device 21 seats in position (e.g., against or within another downhole tool, profile, or setting area), the conveying member 26 may be rotated (if required) then lowered and the lugs 22 moved down to the lowermost sloping section 34 of the J-slots 16. From here, right hand or left hand rotational torque may be applied and the conveying member 26 slowly lifted. The lug 22 follows the profile of the lowermost slope 34, the vertical section 32, and is then free to be recovered to the surface, leaving the deployed oilfield device 21 in its set position in the wellbore.

Actuating an oilfield device 21 between an open position and a closed position may include a process similar to retrieving the oilfield device 21. The lug member 14 may be attached to the conveying member 26 or an actuation string (e.g., drill pipe, tubing, etc.) and run downhole to be positioned just above the receptacle 12. The conveying member 26 and the lug member 14 may then be slowly lowered until the lugs 22 rest on the uppermost sloping profile 30 of the J-slots 16. Continued slow lowering and application of the right hand (or left hand) torque to the pulling string causes the lugs 22 to follow the J-slot profile down the uppermost sloping profile 30, down the vertical section 32, and finally into the lowermost sloping profile 34 to land out in the bottom of the J-slot. Upward movement of the pulling string and lug member 14, while still applying the right hand (or left hand) torque, raises the lugs 22 into the truncated upward slot areas 36 of the receptacle 12. From here, the conveying member 26 may apply a torque to the oilfield device 21 via the fully engaged J-latch mechanism 10. This torque may rotate the component of the oilfield device 21 from a closed position to an open position, or from an open position to a closed position. In this manner, the disclosed J-latch mechanism 10 may be able to selectively actuate the downhole oilfield device 21 via rotation of the device component.

In other embodiments, the conveying member 26 may apply a longitudinal (e.g., upward or downward) force to the component of the oilfield device 21 via the fully engaged J-latch mechanism 10. This longitudinal force may transition the oilfield device 21 between a closed position and an open position. In this manner, the disclosed J-latch mechanism 10 may be able to selectively actuate the downhole oilfield device 21 via upward or downward movement of the device component.

FIG. 3 illustrates a more detailed view of the lug member 14 of the presently disclosed J-latch mechanism 10. The illustrated embodiment only shows one lug 22 on the lug member 14, although it should be noted that other embodiments of the lug member 14 may include any desirable number of lugs 22 to engage with a corresponding number of J-slots 16 formed in the J-latch receptacle 12. The lug 22 includes a bearing assembly 50 to provide reduced friction and easier manipulation of the J-latch mechanism 10 at the lug and J-slot interface. This may be particularly useful in conditions where the accurate application of set down or pick up weight, or the application of right hand or left hand torque, is restricted or difficult to manage. For example, the bearing assembly 50 may provide reduced friction between the lug and the slot when the J-latch mechanism is used to position or actuate a downhole equipment device via a conveying member lowered from a floating drilling vessel subjected to heave forces.

The bearing assembly 50 may include any number of roller bearings, tapered roller bearings, needle roller bearings, self-aligning bearings, cylindrical roller bearings, spherical roller bearings, or carb toroidal bearings, among others. In the illustrated embodiment, the lug 22 includes the bearing assembly 50 arranged about a lug post 52 extending outward from the mounting portion 24 of the lug member 14. The bearing assembly 50 may include a plurality of rollers 54 disposed in a bearing cage 56 about the lug post 52. An edge of the bearing cage 56 may be the portion of the bearing assembly 50 that contacts the edges of a corresponding J-slot. The lug 22 having the bearing assembly 50 may be arranged in a number of ways, and the arrangement and mechanical attachment illustrated in FIG. 3 is one way to mechanically secure the bearing assembly 50 to the lug 22. Other variations of the lug bearing attachment mechanism may be utilized in other embodiments.

The disclosed embodiments reduce the frictional effects and possible metal deformation and/or gouging that might otherwise be encountered by attempting to engage or disengage traditional J-latch mechanisms in difficult operating conditions (e.g., from heaving floating drilling units). By using the disclosed J-latch mechanism 10, the deployment or retrieval operation may be able to work as intended on the first try, thereby increasing operational efficiency and eliminating potential lost time in repeated attempts to mate the mechanism or pull the mechanism out of the wellbore to replace damaged equipment.

Embodiments disclosed herein include:

A. A system including a J-latch mechanism. The J-latch mechanism includes a J-latch receptacle including a cylinder having a slot formed therein, the slot having an open end exposed at one end of the cylinder and a truncated slot area at an opposite end of the slot from the open end. The J-latch mechanism also includes a J-latch lug member including a mounting portion with a lug disposed thereon for removably interfacing with the slot of the J-latch receptacle. The lug includes a bearing assembly to reduce friction between the slot and the lug while selectively engaging and disengaging the J-latch lug member from the J-latch receptacle.

B. A system including an oilfield device, a conveying member for selectively engaging the oilfield device, and a J-latch mechanism forming an interface between the conveying member and the oilfield device. The J-latch mechanism includes a J-latch receptacle including a cylinder having a slot formed therein, the slot having an open end exposed at one end of the cylinder and a truncated slot area at an opposite end of the slot from the open end. The J-latch mechanism also includes a J-latch lug member including a mounting portion with a lug disposed thereon for removably interfacing with the slot of the J-latch receptacle. The lug includes a bearing assembly to reduce friction between the slot and the lug while selectively engaging and disengaging the J-latch lug member from the J-latch receptacle in response to movement of the conveying member relative to the oilfield device.

C. A method including disposing a conveying member downhole and engaging a J-latch lug member of a J-latch mechanism with a J-latch receptacle of the J-latch mechanism to engage the conveying member with an oilfield device. The J-latch receptacle includes a cylinder having a slot formed therein, the slot having an open end exposed at one end of the cylinder and a truncated slot area at an opposite end of the slot from the open end. The J-latch lug member includes a mounting portion with a lug disposed thereon for removably interfacing with the slot of the J-latch receptacle. The lug includes a bearing assembly to reduce friction between the slot and the lug while selectively engaging and disengaging the J-latch lug member from the J-latch receptacle.

Each of the embodiments A, B, and C may have one or more of the following additional elements in combination. Element 1: wherein the bearing assembly includes roller bearings, tapered roller bearings, needle roller bearings, self-aligning bearings, cylindrical roller bearings, spherical roller bearings, or carb toroidal bearings. Element 2: wherein the J-latch receptacle includes a plurality of slots formed therein, each slot having an open end exposed at one end of the cylinder and a truncated slot area at an opposite end of the slot from the open end, and wherein the J-latch lug member includes a plurality of lugs disposed on the mounting member for removably interfacing with the plurality slots of the J-latch receptacle, each of the lugs comprising a bearing assembly. Element 3: wherein the J-latch receptacle includes a component piece that is integral with an equipment component for use downhole. Element 4: wherein the J-latch receptacle includes a sub removably coupled to an equipment component for use downhole. Element 5: wherein the J-latch lug member is coupled to a conveying member for delivering an equipment component to or from a downhole position. Element 6: wherein the J-latch lug member is coupled to a conveying member for transitioning a downhole equipment component between an open position and a closed position. Element 7: wherein the slot includes an uppermost sloping profile at the open end, a lowermost sloping profile leading to the truncated slot area, and a vertical section between the uppermost and lowermost sloping profiles. Element 8: wherein the lug includes a lug post extending outward from the mounting portion, and a plurality of rollers disposed in a bearing cage around the lug post.

Element 9: wherein the J-latch receptacle is coupled to the oilfield device and the J-latch lug member is coupled to the conveying member. Element 10: wherein the J-latch receptacle is coupled to the conveying member and the J-latch lug member is coupled to the oilfield device. Element 11: wherein the oilfield device includes at least one piece of downhole equipment selected from the group consisting of: mechanically set packers, blowout preventer test plugs, wear bushings, liner hangers, and cement retainers. Element 12: wherein the conveying member includes a deployment string, a pulling string, a wireline, a slickline, or coiled tubing.

Element 13: further including engaging the lug of the J-latch lug member with the truncated slot area of the J-latch receptacle to selectively couple the oilfield device to the conveying member; lowering the oilfield device downhole on the conveying member; and deploying the oilfield device downhole by disengaging the lug of the J-latch lug member from the slot of the J-latch receptacle. Element 14: further including disposing the conveying member downhole at a position proximate the oilfield device; engaging the lug of the J-latch lug member with the truncated slot area of the J-latch receptacle to selectively couple the conveying member to the oilfield device disposed downhole; and pulling the conveying member to retrieve the oilfield device from downhole. Element 15: further including transitioning an element of the oilfield device between an open position and a closed position by rotating the element based on the movement of the conveying member coupled to the oilfield device via the J-latch mechanism. Element 16: further including transitioning an element of the oilfield device between an open position and a closed position by upward or downward movement of the element based on the movement of the conveying member coupled to the oilfield device via the J-latch mechanism. Element 17: further including selectively coupling the conveying member to the oilfield device via the J-latch mechanism when the conveying member is coupled to a heaving floating drilling unit.

Although the present disclosure and its advantages have been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions and alterations can be made herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure as defined by the following claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A system, comprising: a J-latch mechanism, comprising: a J-latch receptacle comprising a cylinder having a slot formed therein, the slot having an open end exposed at one end of the cylinder and a truncated slot area at an opposite end of the slot from the open end; and a J-latch lug member comprising a mounting portion with a lug disposed thereon for removably interfacing with the slot of the J-latch receptacle, wherein the lug comprises a bearing assembly to reduce friction between the slot and the lug while selectively engaging and disengaging the J-latch lug member from the J-latch receptacle.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the bearing assembly comprises roller bearings, tapered roller bearings, needle roller bearings, self-aligning bearings, cylindrical roller bearings, spherical roller bearings, or carb toroidal bearings.
 3. The system of claim 1, wherein the J-latch receptacle comprises a plurality of slots formed therein, each slot having an open end exposed at one end of the cylinder and a truncated slot area at an opposite end of the slot from the open end, and wherein the J-latch lug member comprises a plurality of lugs disposed on the mounting member for removably interfacing with the plurality slots of the J-latch receptacle, each of the lugs comprising a bearing assembly.
 4. The system of claim 1, wherein the J-latch receptacle comprises a component piece that is integral with an equipment component for use downhole.
 5. The system of claim 1, wherein the J-latch receptacle comprises a sub removably coupled to an equipment component for use downhole.
 6. The system of claim 1, wherein the J-latch lug member is coupled to a conveying member for delivering an equipment component to or from a downhole position.
 7. The system of claim 1, wherein the J-latch lug member is coupled to a conveying member for transitioning a downhole equipment component between an open position and a closed position.
 8. The system of claim 1, wherein the slot comprises an uppermost sloping profile at the open end, a lowermost sloping profile leading to the truncated slot area, and a vertical section between the uppermost and lowermost sloping profiles.
 9. The system of claim 1, wherein the lug comprises a lug post extending outward from the mounting portion, and a plurality of rollers disposed in a bearing cage around the lug post.
 10. A system, comprising: an oilfield device; a conveying member for selectively engaging the oilfield device; and a J-latch mechanism forming an interface between the conveying member and the oilfield device, wherein the J-latch mechanism comprises: a J-latch receptacle comprising a cylinder having a slot formed therein, the slot having an open end exposed at one end of the cylinder and a truncated slot area at an opposite end of the slot from the open end; and a J-latch lug member comprising a mounting portion with a lug disposed thereon for removably interfacing with the slot of the J-latch receptacle, wherein the lug comprises a bearing assembly to reduce friction between the slot and the lug while selectively engaging and disengaging the J-latch lug member from the J-latch receptacle in response to movement of the conveying member relative to the oilfield device.
 11. The system of claim 10, wherein the J-latch receptacle is coupled to the oilfield device and the J-latch lug member is coupled to the conveying member.
 12. The system of claim 10, wherein the J-latch receptacle is coupled to the conveying member and the J-latch lug member is coupled to the oilfield device.
 13. The system of claim 10, wherein the oilfield device comprises at least one piece of downhole equipment selected from the group consisting of: mechanically set packers, blowout preventer test plugs, wear bushings, liner hangers, and cement retainers.
 14. The system of claim 10, wherein the conveying member comprises a deployment string, a pulling string, a wireline, a slickline, or coiled tubing.
 15. A method, comprising: disposing a conveying member downhole; engaging a J-latch lug member of a J-latch mechanism with a J-latch receptacle of the J-latch mechanism to engage the conveying member with an oilfield device, wherein the J-latch receptacle comprises a cylinder having a slot formed therein, the slot having an open end exposed at one end of the cylinder and a truncated slot area at an opposite end of the slot from the open end, and wherein the J-latch lug member comprises a mounting portion with a lug disposed thereon for removably interfacing with the slot of the J-latch receptacle, wherein the lug comprises a bearing assembly to reduce friction between the slot and the lug while selectively engaging and disengaging the J-latch lug member from the J-latch receptacle; and moving the oilfield device via the J-latch mechanism in response to movement of the conveying member.
 16. The method of claim 15, further comprising: engaging the lug of the J-latch lug member with the truncated slot area of the J-latch receptacle to selectively couple the oilfield device to the conveying member; lowering the oilfield device downhole on the conveying member; and deploying the oilfield device downhole by disengaging the lug of the J-latch lug member from the slot of the J-latch receptacle.
 17. The method of claim 15, further comprising: disposing the conveying member downhole at a position proximate the oilfield device; engaging the lug of the J-latch lug member with the truncated slot area of the J-latch receptacle to selectively couple the conveying member to the oilfield device disposed downhole; and pulling the conveying member to retrieve the oilfield device from downhole.
 18. The method of claim 15, further comprising transitioning an element of the oilfield device between an open position and a closed position by rotating the element based on the movement of the conveying member coupled to the oilfield device via the J-latch mechanism.
 19. The method of claim 15, further comprising transitioning an element of the oilfield device between an open position and a closed position by upward or downward movement of the element based on the movement of the conveying member coupled to the oilfield device via the J-latch mechanism.
 20. The method of claim 15, further comprising selectively coupling the conveying member to the oilfield device via the J-latch mechanism when the conveying member is coupled to a heaving floating drilling unit. 